Device and procedure for recharging electric vehicles

• US 5,684,379 A
• Filed: 03/30/1995
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AB Volvo
• Original Assignee: AB Volvo
• Inventors: Svedoff, Goran
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US08/413,682
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/13, 320/48, 320/21, 364/492, 364/483
• US Class Current: 320/125
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A device and a procedure for recharging of a electric vehicle'"'"'s (25) energy storage units (20, 21). The device includes a charging unit (15) for conversion of mains distributed electrical energy to an for the vehicle'"'"'s storage units adapted electrical energy. The device also includes means (17) for measuring features of the mains distributed electrical energy, means (18) to detect recharging needs in the vehicle storage units (20, 21) and a control unit (16) for controlling the charging unit (15), which is dependent on input data from the measuring means (17) and the detecting means (18). Owing to that the mains distributed electrical energy'"'"'s features are measured, that the recharging needs in the vehicle storage units (20, 21) are detected and that the recharging is directed dependent on input data from the measuring means (17) and detecting means (18), the recharging process can be adapted to the features of the available electric power and to charging requirements in the vehicle storage units.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy recharging system for recharging two or more energy storage units in an electric vehicle, comprising:

a charging unit for conversion of mains distributed electric energy to energy which is adapted to recharge the energy storage units;

a measurement circuit for measuring the mains distributed electric energy and providing a measurement output;

a detecting circuit for sensing the requirements in the energy storage units and providing a detection output;

a control unit for controlling the charging unit;

the control unit regulating the amount of energy delivered from the charging unit to the energy storage units in response to the measurement output; and

the control unit regulating the amount of energy delivered from the charging unit to the energy storage units in response to the detection output.

2. A recharging system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes means for manual input of data regarding the mains distributed energy.

3. A recharging system according to claim 1, wherein the mains distributed electric energy includes a plurality of phases and wherein the measuring circuit includes a transmitter and a receiver for reception of information regarding available electric power and distribution between the respective phases.

4. A method for recharging two or more energy storage units in an electric vehicle, comprising conversion of mains distributed electrical energy to an electrical energy adapted to the vehicle energy storage units, and comprizing the steps of

measuring features of the mains distributed electrical energy,

detecting the individual recharging needs of the energy storage units of the vehicle, and

controlling the charging in dependence to input data from measuring means and detecting means, in such a way that the charging process is adapted to the individual requirements of each respective energy storage unit of the vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the recharging of the vehicle is adapted to data regarding driving cycles, time of day, day of the week and date.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the recharging process is optimized with regard to the time-span to the next using-occasion and driving-distance/stop-time of the vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein data regarding the vehicle'"'"'s approximated energy requirements are sent to the measuring device, which by means of two-way communication via the electric mains responds with data about the appropriate power outlet, based on other local input data.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein several sockets placed in a local group, and several vehicles within this group, share the local electrical energy available for the group with individual needs priority.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein data regarding available electric energy are distributed via a central electric distributor'"'"'s electric mains, for control of the recharging of the group of vehicles and for equalization of the power load on the distribution mains.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein identification data on the individual electric vehicle are transmitted via the electric mains for determining the energy costs associated with energy used to charge the energy storage units.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein identification data on a user of the electric vehicle are also transmitted via the electric mains for billing the user for energy costs associated with energy used and any rent for the vehicle.

12. A vehicle energy recharging system for recharging two or more energy storage units in an electric vehicle, comprising:

a charging unit for conversion of energy received from a mains distributed electric energy source to energy which is adapted to recharge the energy storage units;

a measurement circuit for measuring the mains distributed electric energy and providing a measurement output;

a detecting circuit for sensing the requirements in the energy storage units in the vehicle and providing a detection output;

a control unit for controlling the charging unit;

the control unit regulating the amount of energy delivered from the charging unit to the energy storage units in response to the measurement output;

the control unit regulating the amount of energy delivered from the charging unit to the energy storage units in response to the detection output;

the measurement circuit including a transmitter for transmitting identification data to the main distributed electric energy source that identifies the vehicle being recharged; and

the measurement circuit further adapted to transmit requirements data regarding the vehicle'"'"'s approximated energy requirements to the main distributed electric energy source.